December isn’t the coldest month of the year for South Florida, but it is a good time to begin preparing your plants. You typically won’t have to contend with extreme cold or snow – unless there’s a freak storm – but there are precautions you need to observe with some of your landscape plants.

Mulch

A good layer of mulch is beneficial at any time of the year. It aids in preserving moisture and provides protection for hardier plants.

Sensitive Plants

For those that are highly sensitive to temperature changes, be prepared to make room for them in your house. Depending on the plant, a garage may also provide sufficient protection. This is easy to do if they’re in containers. If bringing them in to a warmer environment isn’t feasible, temporarily cover them with a tarp if you experience a cold snap. Be sure to weigh it down at the bottom in case there’s a stiff breeze and uncover the plant the next day or when the temperature warms enough.

Pruning

Pruning during the “cold” time of the year when trees and shrubs are dormant is the best practice. For flowering trees and bushes that don’t bloom in the spring, January is the best time for pruning. It’s also a good time to prune deciduous fruit trees such as Asian pears, peach and plum.

Roses

If you’ve managed to successfully cultivate roses, the early months of the year is best for trimming and pruning. After trimming, a light application of fertilizer is a good idea and be sure to mulch. The mulch will help keep fertilizer in place and retain moisture.

Flower Beds

You can plant cold tolerant annuals such as pansy, petunia, snapdragons, and dianthus during this time. If you decide to enter plants that have bulbs, be sure to add a layer of mulch. Be aware that bulbous plants will require routine watering to help them get established.

Vegetable Gardening

You can still enjoy fresh veggies during the winter. Many cold hardy vegetables can be grown such as carrots, cabbage and cauliflower, along with some potato varieties. Be prepared to cover them if there’s a cold snap.

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A lush, green lawn is a point of pride for many South Florida residents. However, everyone isn’t a fan of the constant rounds of mowing, fertilizing and watering. You can still have a stunning landscape without the grass. Depending on the type of design you choose, it can conserve water, reduce your water bill, and utilize a variety of materials.

Artificial Turf

This is an elegant solution if you want to eliminate mowing, fertilizing and watering. The turf remains green year-round and won’t die. There’s a lower cost for upkeep and it’s much more tolerant of wear and tear than traditional grass.

Low Moisture Groundcovers

With groundcovers, the plants are free to roam throughout a traditional lawn area. They don’t have to be mowed, many groundcover plants produce a bounty of colorful blooms, and they have very low water requirements. They fill spaces between trees and can provide habitat for native pollinators.

Rock and Glass

An increasing number of people are choosing to landscape their environments with natural stone, lave rocks, and colored class – or a combination of all 3. Most designs feature beds with miniature junipers or similar evergreens, surrounded by rock or glass. There are dozens of sizes and colors from which to choose. The designs are often complemented by colorful pavers to minimize grassy areas.

Gravel Gardens

Designs that feature gravel gardens are becoming more popular. Different sizes, shapes, colors, and textures of gravel take the place of grass. They’re often accompanied by hardscapes of fountains, statuary, pergolas and arbors.

Desert Oasis

This type of landscape can utilize the strategic planting of decorative grasses, and succulents that require little moisture, interspersed within the rocks.

Cottage Garden

Instead of grass, some are choosing to create yard-sized cottage gardens. They have a wild look and combine a variety of different types of plants in varying heights and textures. Mulch plays an integral role in these designs.

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The winter months provide a respite from the tasks of lawn care. However, a healthy spring lawn begins with the proper preparation in the autumn. That means having your irrigation system inspected, leaving lawns longer, and ceasing fertilizing at the proper time.

Let it Grow

You won’t need to mow nearly as often. It’s recommended that you leave your lawn slightly longer than usual during the winter months. It will help protect roots if there’s a cold snap. Cold weather isn’t normally a problem, but it has occurred in the past. A large portion of South Florida lawns are Bahia or St. Austine grass. The best height is 3.5 to 4 inches. Other grasses should be maintained at a height of 2 to 2.5 inches.

Water Sparingly

Your lawn’s growth slows during the winter months and a healthy spring lawn depends on the care you give it now. You don’t have to worry about scorching due to heat, but your lawn will still require some moisture every 1 to 2 weeks. Be careful not to overwater. A good rule of thumb is to look for grass that retains your footprints. If you see your footprints, it’s time to water if you don’t have a programmable irrigation system.

Fertilize in February

Don’t fertilize your lawn unless it’s actively growing. Stop fertilizing in Sept. to Oct. Wait until spring to resume fertilizing, 2 weeks after you observe new growth, typically in February. Bear in mind that climate change can affect growth patterns.

Overseeding

It’s very possible that your lawn will begin to brown during the winter. The best solution is to overseed your lawn with a grass variety that does well during cooler months. It will provide the lush, green appearance you desire during the winter. Cooler weather grass will die off in time for the heat and humidity of summer when your normal lawn grass begins growing again.

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South Florida rarely experiences cold temperatures, but cold snaps do occur. For instance, temperatures dropped to -2°F in 2009-2010. Since then, there’s been a move toward plants that are cold hardy. Bear in mind that even though many plants can tolerate lower temperatures, they may only be able to do so for a short period of time. That doesn’t mean they won’t sustain some damage below 30°F. Mulching will significantly help them survive. Bear in mind that “cold” is a relative term in your location.

Azalea

The deciduous variety of the bush can easily withstand temperatures as low as -35°F.

Bougainvillea

The maximum low temperature a bougainvillea can survive is 40°F.

Crepe Myrtle

Most are hardy to temperatures of 0° to 10°F

Florida Maple

A deciduous tree, it’s able to withstand temperatures of -15°F without being mulched.

Magnolia

Some magnolia varieties can survive temperatures of 20°F to -10°F.

Perennial Morning Glory

They can sometimes survive a frost, depending on where they’re planted. Otherwise, they’re typically rated for maximum cold temps of 45°F.

Plumbago

Also known as lead wort, it can sustain temps of -20°F. An added bonus is that it typically blooms during autumn months.

Red Fountain Grass

The lowest minimum temperature that the grass is able to tolerate is 20°F

Rhododendron

Masters of cold temperatures, the shrubs can easily survive temperatures of -35°F.

Ruellia

Also known as wild petunia, leaves will typically die back to the ground when temperatures drop into the 20s.

Sycamore

Depending on the species, sycamores can survive temps up to -30°F

Variegated Asiatic Jasmine

They’ve been known to survive temperatures of 0°F, but will die in temperatures lower than that.

Palms and Evergreens

There are a great number of palms that will survive colder temperatures than you might think. The same is true of evergreens. When purchasing plants, pay attention to the tags inserted in the pots. They’ll provide the information you need to know before buying a plant that’s destined to die if the weather turns frigid.

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561-779-9760